Lurking in the deep: Clarkston stepping up to chase area swimming powers

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

CLARKSTON — Following the 2009 girls swimming and diving season, Kenwyn Chock had an argument with several of her colleagues around the Oakland Activities Association.

Other coaches throughout the three-division wanted to drop Clarkston down to the lowest division of the OAA after a major rebuilding campaign that 2009 season. Chock wanted her team in the middle or upper division, based on the talent pool in the ranks.

Chock, who started Clarkston’s boys and swimming and diving teams in 1999-2000, lost the argument. The Wolves were dropped down to the OAA Blue Division for competition last fall, despite the expected pipeline of top-tier talent coming out of the middle school over the next few years.

ON THE TOP: Clarkston sophomore Monica Gorgas and the Wolves hope to surface as an Oakland County and Division 1 state powerhouse this season. File Photo | Dan Stickradt

“I kept telling them that I had a great group of freshmen coming in (for 2010) and another strong group coming in for (2011),” said Chock, whose team placed seventh in the OAA White Division in 2009. “I know we were down for 2009, but we definitely belonged in a higher division for the OAA last year. I got out-voted. I think the change of division shouldn’t always be based on what you did the past year or two, but also on what you have coming up.”

Keeping the demotion in stride, Clarkston just went out and pounded teams in their league and had several top-20 finishes at various meets throughout the season.

Clarkston scored 601 points at the OAA-Blue league meet, 159 points ahead of runner-up Oxford. The Wolves were eighth out of over 30 schools at the Oakland County Championships with 114 points and they capped the year by finishing 16^th at the Division 1 state finals with 53 points.

In dual meets, Clarkston finished 8-1 overall last season, going 6-0 in the OAA Blue Division. The coaches in the OAA reconsidered the season of purgatory they placed the Wolves through last fall and opted to bump them up two divisions this season to the OAA Red Division. In that group are powerhouse programs such as Birmingham Groves, Birmingham Seaholm, Rochester Adams, Farmington Harrison, Troy, Rochester Stoney Creek and Troy.

So far this season, Clarkston is off to a 5-1-0 start, with the only loss coming by less than 10 points to non-league opponent Grand Blanc. They are 3-0 in the OAA Red Division with several important dates coming up in the next month.

“We only graduated two swimmers off the entire team,” noted chock. “Most our core swimmers are back, at least the ones who scored at the big meets, and we have some more good freshmen. With the rest of the team getting better, I expect that we can be a very good team this year. I believe we can be top-10, maybe top-five at the (Oakland County) meet and perhaps even top10 at the state finals.”

A LENGTH AHEAD: Clarkston's Sami Stelpflug is one of the best sophomores in the state, having earned All-State and All-America honors in 2010. File Photo | Dan Stickradt

Clarkston has 27 swimmers and six divers this season, an area where the Wolves have seen mass improvement. There is also better depth, as several second-tier swimmers have shaved off plenty of time in their respective events in the offseason.

Four standout sophomores headline the team, with Sami Stelpflug earning All-America honors last season. She placed high at both the county and state meets and won two events at the league meets last season. Stelpflug was second in both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke at last year’s D-1 state meet.

Classmate Kathryn Culver was sixth in the 50 free and ninth in the 100 free at the state finals, Monica Gorgas qualified in the 100 breaststroke and Natalie Vela competed on a two of the relays that just missed a top-16 placing at last year’s state finals. All four of them competed in two relays at the state finals.

Freshman Megan Stelpflug has already made a significant impact this season for the Wolves, scoring in four events in each of the six meets. She is the team’s top distance freestyler and is expected to place high in the 500 free at the Oakland County Championships next month.

Two other freshmen have also been key additions to the lineup, including Sydney Phon (breaststroke and freestyle) and Kylie Fere (breaststroke).

“We have another very good freshmen class. All of them have contributed this season,” said Chock. “With our sophomores and freshmen, we’ll score a lot of points with that group.”

In the diving event, seniors Jessica Balker, Lean Tanton and Alissa Spiteman have been with the program all four years and are capable of placing at the league and county meets — and more.

“I think all three of them have a shot of making it to the state meet,” beamed Chock. “I think at least two of them will and maybe three. They are a strength on the team, not an event where we give points away. We should do very well in diving this season.”

Clarkston is potentially eyeing its best season to date and are on a mission that they belong with the area’s best.

“We don’t have that great dual-meet championship-style team, but we will score very well in the big meets such as the league, the county and the state meet,” offered Chock. “I think we are a legitimate top-10 team in Division 1 for the state meet. This team has so much potential. I don’t think we’ve had this many talented swimmers and divers on our team at the same time and a lot of them are sophomores and freshmen. We’re still young, so I expect we’ll be good the next few years.”

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Tags: Clarkston Girls Swimming, featured, girls swimming, High School Girls Swimming, OAA Red Division Girls Swimming, Prep Girls Swimming, swimming

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